A conventional content browsing method for contents disclosed on the Internet is to access a content data server with a personal computer through use of a Web server (e.g. see Patent Document 1). FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of a conventional system for performing content browsing. In the content browsing system, personal computer devices (hereinafter abbreviated as “PC devices”) 314, 315, 316 used by a plurality of viewers for content browsing, and the like are connected to Web server 350, content data servers 341, 342, and the like through network 320.
FIG. 16 shows a flowchart at the time of conventional content browsing. For example, when PC device 314 browses contents of content data server 341, PC device 314 first makes an HTTP request to Web server 350 through network 320. Web server 350 then transmits Web contents, such as a link to a search URL with respect to each of content data servers 341, 342 and an HTML with an analysis procedure for a search result embedded therein, to PC device 314. Subsequently, PC device 314 directly makes an HTTP request for the search URL to content data server 341. Content data server 341 then searches a URL, and transmits a search result to PC device 14 in an XML file or the like. PC device 314 makes an HTTP request for a media data URL to content data server 341. Content data server 341 then transmits media data to PC device 314. Finally, PC device 314 performs screen drawing so as to display the received media data on a screen of the PC device.
Further, also in a case of browsing contents of content data server 342, PC device 314 makes an HTTP request to Web server 350 through network 320, and thereafter, PC device 314 directly makes an HTTP request for a search URL to content data server 342, to execute a similar flow.
However, in the above-mentioned conventional configuration, browsing efficiency is restricted by a processing ability (CPU, memory, and the like) of a personal computer. For this reason, comfortable content browsing necessitates mounting of a high processing-speed CPU and a large capacity memory in the PC device, which has caused a problem of necessitating a high-priced terminal.
Further, an interface between an operator and a computer is of importance for efficiently browsing contents as described above, which requires a menu screen displaying method excellent in convenience and a menu screen display device that realizes the displaying method.
Among the conventional menu screen display devices, there are a device that animates transition of an operation menu, and a device capable of changing menu design (background image, and the like) with respect to each user.
Further, there is a menu screen display device that performs a three-dimensional display for displaying a large number of menu screens (e.g. see Patent Document 2).
However, in the conventional menu screen display device, at the time of getting into and out of a menu, each of those operations thereof needs to be described. Further, there has been a problem in that in a case of wishing to define different transition animation with respect to each menu layer, operations in the number of transition need to be described.    [Patent Document 1] Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-195843    [Patent Document 2] Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. H04-214595